Celeriac problem.

I've been growing celeriac successfully at home for several years now, but for the last two years they've been something of a failure.

They still produce plenty of healthy leaf growth throughout the summer, but upon harvesting I find that the swollen root has failed to form properly. There is simply a mass of small fibrous roots with the fleshy edible part of the root being small or virtually non-existent.

The puzzling thing here is that I've done virtually nothing different in the last two years to that of previous years.

I've kept them well watered during dry spells, the soil is as good as I can make it with plenty of good compost dug in, I'm rotating so they don't occupy the same ground in consecutive years, and I'm using the same two varieties which have always performed well in the past (Prinz and Giant Prague).

Until a couple of years ago I always used to apply a dressing of fish, blood and bone before sowing or planting any vegetable crops, but had to stop doing this as I got fed up with foxes digging huge holes all over the place and uprooting everything.

Having said that, none of my other vegetable crops seen to have been adversely affected at all.

Any advice?

 

First time i've grown it this year Trunky, not pulled it yet, but I did notice the outer leaves had all died off & it now has fresh growth in the middle

Don't know if its meant to do that or I didn't water it enough.

 

Grown it for the first time this year. The information I`ve been going by is to remove the outside leaves as the root grows.

 

I've been removing the outer leaves as recommended Dai.
JWK, You can normally harvest them from October onwards, the flavour does improve slightly if you leave it a bit later. In previous years I've left them in the ground and lifted them from October right through to February.

 

Will take some pics of the ones I`ve been growing tomorrow.

 

My first attempt at Celeriac

 

Well Dai, they seem pretty good from your pic. Although, as other contributors have mentioned, they can be left in the ground, you could alternatively lift and store as one would with any other root vegetable, also they freeze well.

A great, tasty and under-rated vegetable if ever there was!!

a-a

 

Apparently, amything you can do with a spud you can do with Celeriac. I am growing these for a client, though I could use them myself I`m a bit wary as I`m allergic to celery.

 

Blimey Dai,

How do you get on with the rest of the Carrot family? Is it just Cellery or is it Hemlock too?

 

Just Celery as far as I am aware. Have to wear gloves when handling it else I come out in huge water blisters.

 

Blimey, poor you:( i'm like that with cats & dogs but did get away with petting a Wolf in Lyme Regis

 

I`ll fall for it, where in Lyme Regis did you meet a wolf?

 

I think he may have had a couple Dai, and the wolf was actually the Lonk in its wellies On their night out

Jack McH